Handhold retainer block



A g- 1967 F. J. RUSSELL ETAL 3,

HANDHOLD RETAINER BLOCK Filed March 23, 1966 FQED RUSSELL A20 141. SQNDEQS INVENTORS Avv-o QA/E vs Rwy/420 I 1 AQMSTQOA/ United States Patent Ofiice 3,337,254 Patented Aug. 22, 1967 3,337,254 HANDHOLD RETAINER BLOCK Fred J. Russell, 8635 Otis St., South Gate, Calif. 90280; Richard L. Armstrong, 9639 Pioneer Blvd., Santa Fe Springs, Calif. 90670; and Vernard W. Sanders, 5522 Garth Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90056 Filed Mar. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 538,458 4 Claims. (Cl. 292352) The invention is inthe general field of locks and handholds for lock mechanisms which must be capable of release and replacement. The disclosure herein is directed to a structure making release difiicult except for authorized persons.

The conventional manner for fastening a handlhold or door knob in place on the spindle of a lock is to provide an opening in the shank of the handlhold and a similar aligned opening in the spindle, so that the two can be attached nonrotatably together by employment of a retainer in the shape of a reciprocating rod or bar which engages both holes. Ordinarily, the retainer is springpressed into engagement with the holes so that, when the retainer is to be released, it can merely be pushed out of the exterior hole and the handhold or knob in this fashion thus becomes disengaged. Locks are customarily built so that the retainer for the outside knob is concealed and thereby made inaccessible, whereas the retainer for the inside knob is exposed. Under these conditions, the handhold can only be removed by persons who have access to the inside knob.

Although this gives some assurance that unauthorized persons cannot dismantle the lock, occasions do arise when unauthorized persons may have access to the inside of the door and could then remove the handhold. On other occasions, persons, merely intending to cause confusion, can also remove the handlhold and make substitutions for parts of the lock.

If inadvertent meddling of the kind described is to be prevented, whatever means are resorted to must be no more than a temporary deterrent and must not be such as to cause any appreciable inconvenience to authorized persons who may wish to remove the handhold. A temporar'y type of deterrent, however, is sufficient for most occasions because a person merely wishing to tamper with the lock will rarely be equipped with either the tools or the skill to take advantage of same blocking expedient.

It is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide a new and improved blocking means to prevent removal of the handhold from a lock by unauthorized persons who might be tempted to tamper with the look if it were not for the presence of such a blocker.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved blocking means to prevent disengagement of the customary retainer which normally holds a handhold on a lock. The retainer, however, being such that knowledgeable persons and persons equipped with a proper tool can readily overcome the blocking relationship and remove the handhold.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved blocking means for preventing manipulation of a retainer for the knob on a lock which is relatively inexpensive and which requires no alteration in conventional lock structures in order to be useful.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved blocking means for preventing disengagement of the customary retainer from a handhold which is sufiiciently simple in its structure and relationship to the lock, so that it can be used with almost any conventional type of lock.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a typical handhold mounted on a lock structure.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 33 of FIGURE 1 showing the blocker in the first position prior to engagement.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIGURE 3 showing the blocker in its final position.

FIGURE 5 is a side perspective view of the blocker.

In an embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration, there is shown a lock structure indicated generally by the reference character 10 mounted upon a fragment of door 11. In order to provide an adequate background for a disclosure of the invention, the only portions of the lock structure 10 which are shown consist of a rosette 12 and a tubular bearing 13. A handhold 14 is here shown in the form of a knob having a handgripping portion 15' and a shank 16. In this particular form of lock, the shank 16 is rotatably mounted within the interior of the bearing 13.

A tubular spindle 17 is concentrically disposed within a bore 18 of the shank 16, as shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4. The spindle 17 is adapted to be connected in the usual, conventional way to lock structure 10 within the interior of the door 11.

In the spindle 17 is a pair of holes 20 and 21 in diametrically opposite alignment, the hole 21 being appreciably larger than the hole 20. The shank 16 is provided with similar holes 22 and 23, also in diametrically opposite alignment, the holes 22 and 23 being of the same dimension as each other and also the same dimension of the smaller hole 20 in the spindle 17. The purpose of having two holes 22 and 23 in the shank 16 is so that for particular installations the handhold 14 may be turned 180 degrees and there secured in place by a retainer 25 which remains in the same relative position in the spindle 17.

which extends the narrow end 27 of the retainer 25. A

tainer 25 in the extended position of FIGURES 3 and 4. Up to this point, the structure described is substantially conventional construction. When a handhold 14 is to be removed, it is necessary only to depress the wide end 28 of the retainer 25 by some appropriate means, such as the end of a screwdriver. This movement is enough to disengage the shank 16 from the retainer 25 and permit the handhold 14 to be removed. When the handhold 14 is replaced, the wide end 28 is merely pushed in far enough to slide over the bore 18 within the shank 16 until it reaches a position of alignment with either the hole 22 or the hole 23, as the case may be, after which the spring clip 29 presses the retainer 25 outwardly into the respective hole. Obviously, the handhold 14 can 'be very readily removed and, once the handhole 14 is removed, access can easily be had to the interior of the lock structure 10.

To block or prevent the handhold 14 from being too readily removed, there is provided a blocker 40 which may take the form shown in FIGURE 5. The blocker'40 consists of a body 41 and legs 42 and 43 in spaced relation ship providing a space 44 between them. The body 41 of the blocker 40 is preferably made of some relatively soft, deformable metal or other material which, once deformed, will hold its deformed shape.

On the leg 42 is a shoulder 45, and on the leg 43 is a similar shoulder 46. If desired, a slight apex 47 may be provided intermediate opposite sides. The leg 42, moreover, is provided with a sloping end face 48 and the leg 43 with a similar sloping end face 49.

It is important to note that the breadth of the body 41 between outermost edges of the legs 42 and 43 is slightly less than the long dimension or breadth of the hole 23 or the hole 22, as the case may be. Also, the thickness of the body 41 is slightly less than the narrow dimension or width of the hole 23 or the hole 22, as the case may be.

When the blocker 40 is to be placed in position to prevent reciprocation of the retainer 25, it is slid through the hole 23 to the position shown in FIGURE 3. In this position, preferably the apex 47 protrudes slightly where it can be struck with a punch-like tool 50 of some kind, the punch-like tool being struck repetitively by a hammer (not shown). As the blocker 40 is struck, the sloping end faces 48 and 49 impinge against the exterior surface of the spring clip 29, if the location of the spring clip 29 is in fact in the position shown. Otherwise, the sloping end faces 48 and 49 would impinge against the exterior surface of the spindle 17, producing the same result. In any event, the blow is absorbed by the immediately adjacent portion of the spindle 17, suflicient that, by reason of the relatively soft material of the blocker 40 and the sloping direction of the end faces 48 and 49, the legs 42 and 43 are spread apart slightly to the positions of FIGURE 4, wherein the shoulders 45 and 46 engage beneath the interior of the shank 16 on opposite sides of the hole 23. After this takes place, the blocker 40 will be anchored in the position shown in FIGURE 4 and in that position prevents movement of the retainer 25 from right to left a distance far enough to permit disengagement of the wide end 28 from the hole 22 in the shank 16. Hence, should an unauthorized person attempt to tamper with the lock structure to disengage the handhold 14 in the usual way, such disengagement will be prevented. Under those circumstances where the would-be tamperer does not understand the construction of the blocker 40', this will be sufficient to deter tampering.

When it becomes desirable to remove the handhold 14, all that it necessary is to apply a relatively narrow punch 51 to the outer face of the wide end 28 and to strike the punch 51 with a hammer repeatedly and hard enough to drive the blocker 40 toward the left, as viewed in FIG- URES 3 and 4. Since the material of the body 41 is a relatively soft, deformable material, one or two blows are enough to collapse the shoulders 45 and 46 and the legs 42 and 43 far enough to permit the body 41 to be driven out of the hole 23, after which the retainer 25 can be manipulated in the usual fashion. When the time comes to again prevent inadvertent tampering, it is necessary only to insert a new blocker 40 in the hole 23 and to drive it into position in the same fashion. Should the handhold 14 be reversed degrees in position, the same blocker 40 will operate in the same fashion in the hole 22, under those circumstances where the wide end 28 extends outwardly through the hole 23.

While the invention has herein been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new in support of Letters Patent is:

1. In a lock, a spindle, a handhold shank surrounding said spindle, said spindle having opposite aligned holes therein, said shank having opposite aligned holes therein adapted to be positioned in alignment with the holes of said spindle, a retainer mounted transversely in said spindle and having one end extending through one of the holes in the spindle and another end spring-pressed to a position extending through the other hole in the spindle and through one of the holes in said shank, and a blocker adapted to be anchored in the other of said holes in the shank, said blocker including a body of deformable material which will fit within the breadth and width of said hole in the handhold shank, said blocker being adapted to be forced toward said spindle whereby to deform portions of said blocker into positions of engagement with the interior of said shank and to prevent release of the handhold by disengagement of said retainer.

2. In a lock, a spindle, a handhold shank surrounding said spindle, said spindle having opposite aligned holes therein, said shank having opposite aligned holes therein adapted to be positioned in alignment with the holes of said spindle, a retainer mounted transversely in said spindle and having one end extending through one of the holes in the spindle and another end in springpress-ed position extending through the other hole in the spindle and through one of the holes in said shank, and a blocker adapted to be anchored in the other of said holes in the shank, said blocker including a body of deformable material which will fit within the breadth and width of said hole in the handhold shank, at least one leg on said body, said leg having a shoulder adapted to face outwardly against the interior of said shank and a sloping end face adapted to be forced toward said spindle, whereby to deform said leg into positions of engagement with the interior of said shank and to prevent release of the handhold by disengagement of said retainer.

3. In a lock structure having a spindle, a handhold shank surrounding said spindle, means forming pairs of respectively aligned holes in said spindle and said shank, and a retainer reciprocatably mounted in spring-pressed engagement with holes in said spindle and one of the holes in said shank, a method of using a blocker to temporarily prevent the shifting of said retainerto release position for the shank comprising placing said blocker in the other hole in Said shank in a position overlying a respective end of the retainer and forcing said blocker against resistance of said spindle, whereby to spread the inner end of the blocker to a size greater than the other hole, whereby to anchor the blocker against removal from said other hole.

4. In a lock structure having a spindle, a handhold shank surrounding said spindle, means forming pairs of respectively aligned holes in said spindle and said shank, and a retainer reciprocatably mounted in spring-pressed engagement with holes in said spindle and one of the holes in said shank, a method of using a blocker to tem- 5 6 porarily prevent the shifting of said retainer to release References Cited position for the shank and subsequently allowing shift- UNITED STATES PATENTS ing of the retainer to release position comprising placing said blocker in the other hole in said shank in a position 2,293,857 8/1942 Schlage Z92352 overlying a respective end of the retainer, forcing said 5 3,016,255 1/1962 Russell 292--352 blocker against resistance of said spindle whereby to 3 212 306 10 19 5 Russell 292 352 spread the inner end of the blocker to a size greater than said other hole, subsequently driving said retainer by MARVIN CHAMPION, p,- impact blows against the inside end of the blocker until the blocker is constricted to a size as small as said other 10 EDWARD MCCARTHY Asslstant Examinerhole, and then forcing the blocker outwardly of the hole. 

1. IN A LOCK, A SPINDLE, A HANDHOLD SHANK SURROUNDING SAID SPINDLE, SAID SPINDLE HAVING OPPOSITE ALIGNED HOLES THEREIN, SAID SHANK HAVING OPPOSITE ALIGNED HOLES THEREIN ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE HOLES OF SAID SPINDLE, A RETAINER MOUNTED TRANSVERSELY IN SAID SPINDLE AND HAVING ONE END EXTENDING THROUGH ONE OF THE HOLES IN THE SPINDLE AND ANOTHER END SPRING-PRESSED TO A POSITION EXTENDING THROUGH THE OTHER HOLE IN THE SPINDLE AND THROUGH ONE OF THE HOLES IN SAID SHANK, AND A BLOCKER ADAPTED TO BE ANCHORED IN THE OTHER OF SAID HOLES IN THE SHANK, SAID BLOCKER INCLUDING A BODY OF DEFORMABLE MATERIAL WHICH WILL FIT WITHIN THE BREADTH AND WIDTH OF SAID HOLE IN THE HANDHOLD SHANK, SAID BLOCKER BEING ADAPTED TO BE FORCED TOWARD SAID SPINDLE WHEREBY TO DEFORM PORTIONS OF SAID BLOCKER INTO POSITIONS OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID SHANK AND TO PREVENT RELEASE OF THE HANDHOLD BY DISENGAGEMENT OF SAID RETAINER. 